Social Media Great Reads

I participate in a LinkedIn Group titled Social Media Marketing. There is a wealth of good information shared by members who face the same challenges you and I do daily in making social media an effective part of our overall communication plan. It is also comforting to read that other Group Members share the same doubts and concerns I have. It helps eliminate that awkward “Am I the only one who isn’t getting it?” feeling.

Anjo Sanchez posted one of the more interesting, and certainly most responded to, questions in the Group. He asked – “What is your favorite book on social media?”.

I try to operate on the principle of giving credit where credit is due, so I asked Anjo if I could have permission to share his summary of the responses with you. He generously agreed (Thank you Anjo).

I have personally read Groundswell and can attest to its value. In addition to the list above, you can read my summaries of some “old school” books – Buzzmarketing, Pyromarketing and Tipping Point.

I’d also encourage you to review Olivier Blanchard’s irreverent presentation on social media. I was so impressed by it, that I made the presentation required reading for my Advertising Agency. Olivier claims the only two metrics that really matter for social media are cost reduction and revenue generation. It is simple and based on my own experience, where I learnt that buying YouTube views dramatically increases visibility and used it to promote my business online.

My own opinion is that social media only makes sense if there is a valid strategic reason for it to be part of your communication mix. Investing in social media on the hope that it will do something positive, or because you don’t want young professionals to think your community is “so yesterday”, are not sufficiently compelling reasons. You’d be better off becoming a fast follower and studying best in class practices. That might give you insights that help you see a practical strategic role for social media in your overall plan. It also might save you time and money versus blindly jumping in. You should always think about your target audience and their media consumption patterns before you invest in social media. If your target isn’t engaged in social media in meaningful numbers, then you lose nothing by choosing to not invest at this time.

If you have had a positive experience with social media and have seen/documented an ROI, please share with the Group by leaving a comment. Or, if you have a point of view on how social media can play a key role in building a community’s image please share that perspective as well. The more we can learn from each other, the more competitive Brand America will be.

Please leave a comment and share your perspective.  Your perspective adds to the educational experience and will help advance the practical understanding of this topic.

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Category Promotion, Social Media

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